African Detective Mysteries

Cops can make mistakes, even when they're not rookies. Deeply traumatized by a shooting incident, Cass Raines resigned from the Chicago PD, leaving one less female African-American on the force. Now she's the head of a one-woman private investigation agency. She also plays chess with the only father figure she's ever known, Father Ray Heaton. When Father Ray asks Cass to look into a recent spate of vandalism at his church, she readily agrees to handle the case. But only hours later she's horrified to discover his murdered body in the church confessional, a dead gangbanger sprawled out nearby.

A young woman is dead, and another is missing. Two cases worlds apart. When an old friend throws Cutter a case involving the disappearance of a young woman from Detroit’s most prominent family, he sees an opportunity to make some quick cash to keep the bookies off his back. But he soon realizes his client’s problems are a lot more sinister than he thought and finds himself in too deep.

She spent decades working for a living. Now she’s about to discover how much some people are willing to kill to protect a fortune. At fifty-three, Cheryl Sinclair thought retirement would finally give her the freedom she had earned. She was wrong. A former UPS professional with a law degree, a sharp memory, a licensed firearm, and absolutely no patience for bullies, Cheryl has spent most of her life noticing things other people overlook. When her own frustrating workers’ compensation battle exposes her to a system she never fully understood, one question refuses to leave her alone: What...

Funded by the U.S. Reparations Act and a consortium of billionaires, Kingsland rose from the sea to become a haven for Black excellence—and one of the richest nations in the world. But as its 10th anniversary nears, a series of shocking murders rocks the island. Enter Jamison Wright. An elite profiler lured away from the FBI with an offer no one could refuse: a new life in Kingsland for him and his family. But the deeper he digs into the killings, the more he realizes that Kingsland isn’t just a utopia—it’s a mystery wrapped in surveillance, secrets, and power plays far beyond his imagination.

Bloomwood is seeing green, and not just from shamrocks and hydrangeas. As the town gears up for its annual St. Patrick’s Day Festival, sisters Iris and Poppy Thorne are up to their elbows in emerald-tinted blooms at Blossom & Thorne Flower Shop. Their biggest honor yet? Designing the festival’s showstopping floral horseshoe arch and parade float centerpiece. But when the festival’s beloved Grand Marshal, local pub owner Declan Callahan, is found dead on the patio behind his bar, the luck of the Irish runs out fast. Even worse? A bouquet of Blossom & Thorne’s signature green ...

In Bloomwood, Valentine’s Day is all about hearts, flowers… and homicide. Sisters Iris and Poppy Thorne are up to their elbows in red, pink, and white carnations as their flower shop, Blossom & Thorne, prepares the romantic décor for the town’s most talked-about event—the annual Cupid’s Choice Charity Auction. But when a bitter rivalry between two bachelorettes explodes into scandal and one of them turns up dead, the sisters find themselves caught in a twisted tangle of gossip, jealousy, and floral sabotage. Worse yet? The boutonnière found at the crime scene matches flowers in ...

“No badge, no problem. Michael Lister’s first swing at the modern private eye novel is a home run. The Night Of is an instant classic with rich characters and storytelling that grips your heart from first page to last.” - #1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly Lucas Burke and Alix "Blade" Baker: A Pair of Determined Detectives In the sun-soaked expanse of Panama City Beach, Florida, Lucas Burke and Alix “Blade” Baker are the area's most tenacious private investigators. Specializing in missing persons cases, their work is more than just a job—it’s a personal ...

Meet the gang; Wynn, Daena, Kaiman, and Teion. They’ve been thick as thieves since the third grade and blood couldn’t make them closer. While time seemed to sail by, friendship turned into love, and lust morphed into infatuation. Unbeknownst to the gang, the sins of their parent’s past have created a prowler that’s willing to do anything he can to obtain his heart’s desires; including kill. On the night deemed as a rite of passage for teenagers, tragedy is struck. Leaving everyone wheeling, friendships torn, and lovers scorned. Buckle up, because this two part series is about to ...

Easter in Bloomwood is supposed to be a season of renewal. Pastel ribbons line Main Street. Children race through egg hunts in their Sunday best. And at Blossom & Thorne, sisters Iris and Poppy Thorne are up to their elbows in elegant white lilies for the church’s sunrise service. But when Bloomwood Baptist Church’s rare golden cross vanishes just before Easter worship, celebration turns to chaos. The shock deepens when the missing cross is found clutched in the hand of a respected church leader, dead inside the sanctuary and surrounded by lilies from Blossom & Thorne. Suddenly, Iris ...

Romaine Wilder, big-city medical examiner with a small-town past, has been downsized and evicted. With few other options, she’s forced to return to her hometown of Roble in East Texas, leaving behind the man she’s dating and the life she’s worked hard to build. Suzanne Babet Derbinay, Romaine’s Auntie Zanne and proprietor of the Ball Funeral Home, has long since traded her French Creole upbringing for Big Texas attitude. She’s a member in a number of ladies’ auxiliaries and clubs, including being in charge of the Tri-County Annual Crawfish Boil and Music Festival. Hanging on to ...

A thrilling novel about the explosive intersection of love, race, and justice from a writer and producer of the Emmy-winning Fox TV show Empire. "In Bluebird, Bluebird Attica Locke had both mastered the thriller and exceeded it." —Ann Patchett When it comes to law and order, East Texas plays...

Armand Blackstone wants very little in life, and needs even less--he's a millionaire in his own right, and scion of the Blackstone Empire. He has everything at his fingertips, everything a man could want--except Jo Dawson. His borderline obsession has lasted for over a decade, and he manages it the same way he controls everything else around him: with icy perfection. Simultaneously distancing himself and yet staying constantly aware of her, he's managed to keep his dignity intact and stay away from the one woman that drives him past the point of control. But now she's at risk, his younger ...

The suspect is your patient, Dr. Cross. An anonymous caller has promised to set off deadly bombs in Washington, DC. A cruel hoax or the real deal? By the time Alex Cross and his wife, Bree Stone, uncover the chilling truth, it may already be too late.... BookShots LIGHTNING-FAST STORIES BY JAMES...

She's smart, beautiful, and she doesn't need a man to look after her. But sports agent Myron Bolitar has come into her life—big time. Now Myron's next move may be his last. . . Brenda Slaughter is no damsel in distress. Myron Bolitar is no bodyguard. But Myron has agreed to protect the bright...

ONE OF THE WASHINGTON POST'S 10 BEST MYSTERY NOVELS OF 2025 A clever and hilarious new mystery about a mother who thinks she has to do it all—even solve a murder—from the author of It's Elementary After rage quitting her job, Mavis finally has time to get all the rest she’s been putting...

The year is 1906, and America is segregated. Hatred and discrimination plague the streets, the classroom, and the courts. But in WashingtonD.C., Ben Corbett, a smart and courageous lawyer, makes it his mission to confront injustice at every turn. He represents those who nobody else dares defend...

Warm biscuits. Polite smiles. A body in the bayou. And somebody at Ivy Ridge has a whole lot to lose if the truth comes out. Retired FBI agent John Ivy barely has time to settle back into retirement before a cheerful charity picnic turns deadly. A powerful Ivy Ridge resident collapses during his speech and tumbles from the dock into the murky bayou below. Everyone calls it a tragic accident. John knows better. The deeper he looks, the uglier things become. Old money. Political favors. Church language used to hide questionable deals. Generosity with dangerous strings attached. And whispers ...

“A beautiful novel, suffused with fondness and wit. . . . A real triumph!” —Alexander McCall Smith Retired nurse, avid gardener, and renowned cake maker Miss Hortense has lived in Bigglesweigh, a quiet suburb of Birmingham, England, since she emigrated from Jamaica in 1960. She takes great...

“In this terrific series opener, Afia evokes the women’s lives in all their wayward and beautiful glory, especially the abruptness with which their dreams, hopes and fears cease to exist.”--The New York Times The start of an exciting new historical mystery series set during the Harlem...

How was Serena persuaded to be her ex-husband’s wedding planner? Because his soon-to-be wife gets everything she wants…or almost everything. When Serena Tate’s ex-husband and his new fiancée insist on holding their wedding at the exclusive Pearl Hotel, they turn to Serena for her connections to make it happen. But when the bride is found dead hours before the ceremony, the guest list turns into a suspect list—with everyone from the groom to the wedding planner harboring secrets. To make matters worse, Serena’s old nemesis, Detective Bill Mitchell, sets his sights on her as the ...